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Chhattisgarhi chila
Lacy rice-flour pancakes (चावल का चीला) from Chhattisgarh, served with a smoky tomato and chilli chutney
Chhattisgarh calls itself the rice bowl of India, and its everyday breakfast proves it: chila made from nothing more than rice batter, salt and a few aromatics, poured paper-thin onto a hot tawa. Village kitchens grind soaked rice on a stone; rice flour makes it quick enough for a weekday. The pancakes are soft in the middle with crisp, lacy edges and come with a rough chutney of fire-roasted tomato, garlic and green chilli. This is different from the thick gram-flour chila common elsewhere in India. Chef's tip: stir the batter before every ladle, because rice flour sinks fast and the last chilas otherwise turn thick and gummy.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chila
For the tomato chutney
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: For the chutney, roast 2 tomatoes, 2 green chillies and 3 garlic cloves over a gas flame or in a dry pan on high heat for 5–6 minutes, turning, until the skins blister and blacken in spots. Peel the tomatoes roughly and crush everything with ½ tsp salt and ⅛ oz fresh coriander in a mortar or a quick blitz. Keep it chunky.
8 minStep 2: Whisk 5 ½ oz rice flour with 1 ¼ cups water, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp cumin seeds to a smooth, thin batter, like pouring cream. Stir in 1 green chilli, 1 small onion and ⅓ oz fresh coriander. Rest for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Heat a cast-iron tawa or non-stick pan on medium-high and wipe with a little 3 tbsp vegetable oil. Test with a drop of water: it should dance and vanish.
Step 4: Stir the batter, then pour a ladle from the edge of the pan inwards in a circle, tilting so it spreads thin. Small holes and a lacy edge mean the batter and heat are right. Too-thick batter is the common mistake; it steams into a rubbery disc, so thin it with a spoonful of water if needed.
Step 5: Drizzle a few drops of oil around the edge, cover for 1 minute, then uncover and cook for another minute until the edges lift and the underside has golden spots. Flip for 30 seconds if you like, then fold and serve straight away with the chutney. Repeat with the rest, about 12 chilas.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chhattisgarhi chila take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
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